Harry Potter and the Missing Hedwig
by harvey-potter
Summary: It had been two weeks since Hedwing had been kidnapped. Even though Harry felt that Malfoy had done it, he had to get proof. This story has tons of dueling, humor, revenge, and evil versus good! Magic is COOL! Please read, and if possible, please review
1. The evidence

It had been two weeks since Hedwing had been kidnapped. Even though Harry felt that Malfoy had done it, he had to get proof.  
  
'Oy, Ron,' Harry called form the opposite side of the Gryffindor common room. He had decided to run his plans by Ron and Hermione before actually making arrangements. Sometimes Ron would have a sneakier way to do it, and Hermione's intelligence had saved them countless times in the past.  
  
'Whatdya want? I'm right in the middle of a game of wizards chess,' Ron was sitting near the fire playing a game with Seamus Finnigan.  
  
'Just come here, I'm gotta talk to you,' Harry was getting irritated with Ron; and he just wanted Hedwig back. He missed her with a passion. Not only did he have no means of sending owls to Sirius, he just missed the way she visited him at breakfast in the Great Hall. She would just land on his shoulder and nibble at his toast. He missed her affection. Ever since his arrival at Hogwarts, all of his friends had been like his family, and not only for the school year. Hedwig however was the closest of them all. And now she was gone.  
  
'What, now that I've forfeited my game,' Ron frowned. 'And I was gonna give that Irish sod a thrashing.' He sat down in the chair next to Harry, out of hearing distance of everyone else.  
  
'Where's Hermione, this is really important?' Harry asked Ron urgently.  
  
'You brought me all the way over here to ask where Hermione is? Are you bloody nuts? I just lost my reputation as best chess player in Gryffindor thanks to you.'  
  
'For Chrissake Ron, Don't get your bloody knickers in a twist, this is about Hedwig.' Harry sat Ron down before he had a heart attack over a game of chess.  
  
'Look Harry, I know you miss her, but there's nothing we can do to bring her back.' Ron replied more compassionately now that he had seen Harry's solemn face.  
  
'Ron, What is I told you that Hedwig had been kidnapped..." Harry whispered.  
  
'What!'  
  
'Shhhhh...I know she's been kidnapped, and I'd bet my Nimbus 2000 and 1 that it was Malfoy...but...'  
  
'That slimy little bas...' Harry covered Ron's mouth.  
  
'We can't attract any attention to ourselves, nobody must know about this all right.'  
  
'All right, but how do you she was kidnapped?' Ron seemed to have settled down now.  
  
'Well, remember the first day she was gone, when we went back to the dorm cause I had left my wand, the cage was open?' Harry was steadily getting more excited.  
  
'Ya. What about it?' Ron seemed confused.  
  
'Well, I used your wand last night to perform a spell...' Harry now felt the remorse he knew he would eventually feel, even before he borrowed Ron's wand.  
  
'What spell?' Ron seemed angry that Harry had used his wand to do his evil deeds.  
  
'Prior Incantem.' Harry was a little calmer now that he saw Ron wasn't too mad.  
  
'So, that's not a bad spell is it?' Ron obviously had no Idea what the spell was and was trying to hide the fact that he didn't pay attention in charms.  
  
'No Ron, we learned it in charms, it will re-perform the last spell the wand was used for. And, the spell was...Alohomora.'  
  
'Hermione's specialty?! Harry, I know you guys haven't been getting on lately too well, but Hermione would never in her wildest dreams think about kidnapping Hedwig. She loves that bird! Even though....'  
  
'Ron! Calm down, I was just gonna saw that...' Harry didn't stand a hope in hell of getting a word in edgewise.  
  
'Even though Crookshanks didn't like Scabbers, not that any of us did, doesn't mean it as looking at Hedwig with a hungry stomach.'  
  
'RON! FOR GODSAKE SIT DOWN!' Harry looked around the room. If the common room was almost empty, every single pair of Gryffindor eyes would be staring at them. Harry's yelling had even made the fire quiver.  
  
'Sorry, but I just don't think...'  
  
'That's not what I was saying. What I meant is that the last spell used on my wand was the lock opening charm. Geez, how could you even think I would accuse Hermione, You and her are my best friends, and I wouldn't let anybody get in between that.' Harry took a glance at the fire, if they planned to stay in the common room much longer, they would want to put another log on. It got very cold on damp December nights.  
  
'I know that. I'm sorry I flew off the handle like that. I was just excited.'  
  
'Don't worry, it didn't show,' Harry retorted sarcastically. 'Anyway, what I was saying is that Hermione helped me learn the spell, I used it on my wand, and I haven't used the Alohomora charm in months. In fact, I haven't used it since Voldemor---' Ron cringed at the sound of the evil lord's name. 'Sorry, wasn't thinking. So, I think whomever took Hedwig used my wand to magik open her cage.'  
  
'Oh, I see. But how did they find your wand in the dorm? And how did they get into our common room? And how did they get in without being noticed? And how did they get out with a flapping bird, unnoticed in our common room?!'  
  
'Wow, calm down, maybe I should put the Pertrificus Totalis hex on you to keep you still.' Ron's face dropped, even though he knew Harry was just kidding. Harry took a minute to catch his breath. He glanced around the room and saw that Neville Longbottom was twitching in his chair by the glowing red coals of the fire. Clearly the experience he had in first year, when Hermione put the Pertrificus Totalis hex on him, had been a traumatic moment.  
  
'Are you gonna answer me? Or sit there and pretend as if you're trying to remember the wand movements for the hex?' At this point, Neville jumped out of his seat.  
  
'Goodnight...' he stuttered as he stumbled up the stairs backwards.  
  
'All right, first of all, the would have found my wand easily because it was sitting on my bed, or at least I think it was. Second of all, maybe they used the Poly Juice potion, made up some excuse like: taking Hedwig to the nurse to get past our fellow Gryffindors, and pranced out past the Fat Lady.  
  
'I guess that works, but how would they have known the Gryffindor password?' Ron was still in deep thought, as if he was trying to solve the mystery of the universe.  
  
'Ron, how did Sirius get the passwords when he broke in?' Harry smiled. To say Harry hadn't thought this over long and hard would be a crime.  
  
'Neville...' Ron's thinking expression changed to absolute fury in a matter of seconds. Even faster than his cheeks went red at The Yule Ball the year before, when he was dressed in what looked like girls robes. 'That boy is lucky he went to bed, or I'd put that hex on him and leave him til' morning.'  
  
'Look Ron, it probably wasn't his fault, maybe Malfoy stole the passwords from Neville's bag during Potions.' Harry chimed in for Neville's sake.  
  
'Ya, either that or Snape stole them for Malfoy. Who knows what dark wizardry he's back into now that You know who is around again.' Ron's look of absolute fury had still not faded. 'Harry, even if we assume that Malfoy stole the passwords from Neville, which I'm gonna hex him for anyway, how would he have known that your wand would be on your bed?'  
  
'Hmm...I hadn't thought of that. Maybe he just saw my wand and decided to keep his clean at last minute.' Harry offered. Ron looked a little more content now that he had contribute to solving the mystery without Hermione calling him an idiot.  
  
'Are you serious? Malfoy, acting in a improvisational way? What are you on harry Pothead?! I would have thought you of all people would have known Malfoy better than that. He's just like his father, evil and well-planned!' Ron was so excitable that he was yelling again. But this me, Harry didn't bother to shhh him because the common room was empty.  
  
'Ya, you're right...he must have stolen it then! Maybe I didn't forget it after all. He probably stole it from me when he shoved into Myrtle's toilet, then left it on my bed. By the time I noticed it was gone, we were already at Transfiguration. So, that would give him plenty of time to take the potion, get Hedwig, and waltz out like Dumbledore in the teacher's room.' Harry looked a lot more confident in his accusation, but much more sleepy. They were now the only ones in the common room. It was beginning to get cold, considering the fire had in fact dies half an hour before, and he had been talking to Ron for the last 2 hours.  
  
'So you're sure its Malfoy?' Ron winced.  
  
'Positive, if I'm wrong, let Voldemort come in here right now and eat me!' Harry threw in just to see the look on Ron's face again.  
  
'Don't you ever say that. Not even as a joke. If you want him to eat you, wait until I'm out of the room before you summon him please.' Ron was quite shaken again. 'Well, if your sure that its Malfoy, how are you gonna prove it?'  
  
'That's where Hermione comes in. I was expecting her back at least an hour ago. She's gathering the evidence.' Just then, the portrait hole swung open and Hermione walked in. A smug look on her face indicated she had found what she was looking for. Ever since Malfoy had given her beaver teeth the year before, she was longing for revenge. And this was her chance.  
  
'Hi Hermione, get what you need?' Harry smirked.  
  
'Oh, let's just say those beaver teeth he gave me are gonna bite him in the ass!'  
  
'Well, Whatdya find Hermione?' Ron was urging to know what was going on. He hadn't the faintest idea of how there could possibly evidence anywhere but in Harry's room.  
  
'I've found exactly what I thought I'd find...'  
  
**Please review and tell me if I should write the next chapter** 


	2. Hermione's Logic

Chapter Two: Hermione's Logic  
  
'Well, are you gonna tell us or what?' Ron pelted Hermione with questions.  
  
'What's to tell?' Hermione looked so smug that it was pissing Ron off.  
  
'What's to tell?! Was it Malfoy or not?!' Ron was clearly getting more irritated.  
  
'Oh, it was Malfoy all right, the tough part is gonna be proving it. The type of evidence I wanted to find was physical evidence, you know, like hair etc. That way, when we go to Dumbledore to present our case, we can make the Ernest Needle potion, use the physical evidence as a...' Hermione was so excited Harry was sure her head was going to pop off. Even though she hadn't found what she wanted.  
  
'HERMIONE! Just tell us what you found before Ron goes redder than that fire! Save us the Scientific Mumbo Jumbo and cut to the chase!' Harry had his wand ready under the table just in case he need to restrain Ron with the Total Body Bind.  
  
'Oh, All right, it's a good thing one of us pays attention in potions. Christ, if you two had to prove this case yourselves, you'd be more lost than Malfoy on a quidditch pitch!' Hermione had lost her temper for the third time that week. 'Anyway, remember when we were walking past Myrtle's toilet, and Malfoy was there?'  
  
'Ya, what about it?' Harry had no idea what Hermione was getting at.  
  
'Well, I was picking up my books because Peeves pulled the rug from under my feet. That little...' Hermione lips twisted into an evil curl.  
  
'Uh, Hermione....you were saying...' Harry interrupted Hermione before she could get onto some evil deed like she had in their 2nd year.  
  
'Yes, sorry, anyway, so Malfoy apparently pushed Harry, I didn't see.' Hermione was only just warming up in her scientific analysis of the situation.  
  
'Hermione! He did push harry, I saw! He did, tell her Harry!' Ron went ballistic.  
  
'RON! Calm down or I'll use the Pertrificus Totalis hex on you.' Hermione was losing her patience with Ron's subsequent interruptions.  
  
'Jesus Christ, is it team up on Ron day or something? God, that's the second time I've been threatened with that hex!' Ron didn't believe that Hermione would actually do it.  
  
'Ron...SHUT IT!' Hermione squealed. He was rudely interrupting her intelligent genius.  
  
'Yaya...you evil ice queen...' Ron murmured.  
  
'I heard that,' Hermione mumbled as she turned back toward Harry. Throughout Hermione and Ron's frequent magic battles, Harry had always sat back, relaxed, and stayed the hell away from the situation. This had kept him safe in the past...and he wasn't about to stop now.  
  
'Anyway Harry, as I was saying. My guess is that Malfoy stole your wand when he pushed you.' Hermione was starting to warm up again. Soon she would reach supersonic speeds.  
  
'Ya, me and Ron figured that much out. I knew I wouldn't be that stupid to forget my wand on my bed!' Harry instantly regretted interrupting Hermione with a useless comment, after seeing the mind piercing look she gave him.  
  
'Don't make me bind you too. Ok, so my guess is that after he stole your wand, and you guys left, he slipped into Myrtle's bathroom to take the potion. But he must have done just after you left, and before I finished picking up all my books, or else we would have seen him.' Hermione still had her wand firmly in her hand.  
  
'Are you mad, how on earth could you assume that?!' Ron instantly realized he had crossed the line.  
  
'That's it! PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!' Ron's body clenched up, his arms snapped to his side, while his knees were jammed together. As he stood there, perfectly balanced, the only things moving were his eyes. 'Now, what would you do if I was to poke you? Would you fall? I think you would.' Hermione walked around Ron with the threat of making him fall over onto the hard cold common room brick floor.' What was the word you used to describe me? Was it...EVIL IS QUEEN?' And she jabbed him in the stomach with her wand.  
  
'That'll teach you to insult a witch!' Ron fell with a hard crash to the floor. 'Pertrificus Mortalis!' Ron returned to normal. 'I hope that hurt!'  
  
'That really hurt! You evil little...' But Ron stopped immediately at the sight of Hermione's wand still raised.  
  
'Back to what I was saying Harry, after I finished getting my books together, you guys had already left. But as I was walking past Myrtle's bathroom, you came out. Judging by the look on your face, I'd say that you were quite surprised to see me. I asked you if you were all right, and you nodded and took off in the other direction. But when I got to class, Ron, you said Harry had gone to get his wand. I assumed that you had just got up out of the washroom after Malfoy pushed you, Harry. So, I said to Ron that something was up, so we went to catch up with you...but by the time we all got back to the common room, Hedwig was gone. Does all this sound correct?' Hermione took a deep breath.  
  
'Uh huh.' Harry and Ron said in unison.  
  
'Good, Ok , now we have an outline of what has happened.'  
  
'I guess so, but how did you figure all this out Hermione. I mean, its like a criminal masterpiece...its just unbelievable.' Harry looked at her with astonishment.  
  
'Logic Harry, Logic. The only thing that most wizards don't possess.'  
  
'Right.' Now that Harry knew who had taken Hedwig, he didn't want to rest until she was home.  
  
'Look Harry, you look bagged. Why don't you leave me and Ron here to talk about it further, while you go to bed.' Hermione always acted like his mother.  
  
'Ya Harry, you need your energy to beat Ravenclaw in the quidditch tournament tomorrow. Remember that the seeker who catches the snitch in the fastest time gets a cash prize of 100 galleons...not that you need it.' Ron's face turned a tint of red.  
  
'Ya, you guys are right, I should go sleep, Hermione, I'll leave you to deal with Ron.' Harry winked at Hermione. 'Have fun.'  
  
'Harry! Don't leave me here with that crazy bookworm! On second thought, you don't look that tired!' Ron was squirming in his seat. 'You know, I think I'll go to bed too, night Hermione.'  
  
"Oh no you don't, you're gonna help me think of a plan...and now.' Hermione was angry that Ron had dared to insult her again.  
  
"I wanna go to sleep, I'm tired!' Ron offered hopefully.  
  
'All right, I guess we can work it out tomorrow, I do need my sleep, I have a crazy bookworm club meeting tomorrow.' Hermione headed up the stairs to the girls dormitories.  
  
'Oh, about that comment, I was just kidding.' Ron was backing slowly away form Hermione.  
  
'Sure it was...Sleep well. PERTRIFICUS TOTALIS!' Ron clenched up and feel to the floor for the second time of the evening. 'Here, I'll be nice.' Hermione place a pillow under his head, and a blanket over his body. 'Not that you deserve it.' Ron's were looking madly around the room in hopes that someone was still awake and would help him...but it was hopeless. 'I hope You Know Who doesn't come down the Chimney like Father Christmas and eat you...Sweet Dreams!' And she climbed the stairs, two at a time to the dormitories with a smug grin on her face. 


	3. The Sluggish Duel

Harry Woke up on the Saturday morning at 6:00 am. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, a smooth layer of frost covered the grounds, but there was no Hedwig. Harry longed to see her again. He missed Sirius, and he wanted Hedwig back. For all Harry knew, Malfoy had sold her back to the animal store.  
  
Ron must have woken up earlier than Harry, so Harry got dressed and hurried towards the Great Hall for breakfast, even though his stomach was churning with nerves.  
  
'MMM,' came the muffled noise of Ron in the common room as Harry came down the Dormitory stairs.  
  
'What? Speak up!' Harry was just teasing. Ron had obviously pissed Hermione off again after he had gone to bed.  
  
'MMM' Ron's muffled voice came again.  
  
'Yaya, I heard you the first time, but I don't know if its my place to free you, I mean, on one hand...just kidding.' Harry loved teasing Ron after Hermione had had her fun. It always gave him a good laugh, and a reason for future mocking. 'Pertrificus Mortalis!' Harry cried. Ron's limbs immediately snapped free. He got up off the floor and pulled out his wand.  
  
'I'm gonna kill her!' He managed to squirm out as he climbed through the portrait hole.  
  
'What did you do this time? I mean, it must have been bad for her to leave you there all night.' harry clambered through the portrait hole after Ron, and with some difficulty, his left knee had been bothering him ever since Malfoy had pushed him into Myrtle's toilet.  
  
'Not only did she leave me there all night, but Neville's blasted toad Trevor decided to nosy up to me all night. And I couldn't bat him off! For 3 hours, he just sat on my face. Stupid slimy disgusting thing! And I'm angry at the toad too!' Ron had obviously had a very rough night. Harry thought that it might teach him a lesson; don't piss of Hermione.  
  
'Well, did you learn anything from this?' Harry suddenly realized he sounded like Ron's mother.  
  
'Sod off Harry, I get enough of that from my mother. Speaking of which, I'm supposed to get an owl from her this morning telling me the news about my dad. He's in for a large pay increase. Then maybe next year, I'll be able to get new dress robes. I still have those girlish ones!' Harry cast a sideways glance at Ron, he thought that new robes might be a nice Christmas present from him if he won the money from the quidditch tournament.  
  
'Ok then, well let's head down to the Hall, I'd better eat something or I'll eat the snitch again!' Harry had a flashback to his very first game of quidditch. he fell off his broom and ended up swallowing the golden snitch.  
  
'Good idea, I'm craving some bacon and sausages!' Ron's mouth was already watering.  
  
  
  
Down in the Great Hall, Hermione was already doing her weekend homework. It was obvious she never took a break. And that's why she was a prefect. Despite Hermione's A+ on her paper in History of Magic, she wasn't having a good morning. Not only was Hedwig still missing, and a plan not established, she was also fighting with Ron. She assumed that Ron would still be angry and probably a bit stiff after sleeping on the common room floor. The last thing Hermione needed was for Draco Malfoy to shed his light on the situation.  
  
'Oh, it's the girlfriend and boyfriend, Hermione and Neville...how cute...and revolting?' Malfoy sneered, knowing he was protected by his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
'Neville is hardly my boyfriend, I don't have one as a matter of fact, but its nice to see that you do. Two of them! Well done.' Hermione turned away from Malfoy and continued reading her book, Gilderoy Lockhart's Amnesia.  
  
'Listen he you filthy little mudblood...' Malfoy liked making himself appear better than anyone different than him.  
  
'Hey, you can't go around calling people that....' Neville stood up to defend Hermione, but sat back down at the first movement of Goyle.  
  
'I will call her whatever I want. Neville, why are you so worried? She's scum, and scum doesn't have feelings, do ya you pathetic little worm.'  
  
'Shut your face Malfoy.' Harry and Ron appeared at the entrance way. Harry hated when people spoke of muggles in a bad way because he used to live as one. Ron was still remaining pretty quiet, he was still mad at Hermione.  
  
'What are you going to do about it Potter?' Harry didn't back down when Malfoy's goons stepped forward to protect him.  
  
'Hmm...well, I could either knock you off your broom tomorrow, or I could knock you out now.' Hermione pulled out her wand and crept behind Malfoy. 'Or I could let Hermione hex you.' Malfoy snapped his head around in the direction of Harry's eyes. Hermione had her wand raised high, ready to give Malfoy a taste of what Ron had had the night before.  
  
'What? This mudblood knows how to perform spells, why that's simply amazing. Ugly mudblood like her! Where dya get her Potter, she'd be worth a lot if ya sold her to the circus.' Malfoy snickered at his own disgustingly low joke.  
  
'That's it. I may be mad at you, but nobody deserves that kind of insult unless they're a Slytherin.' Ron pulled out his wand and cried 'PETRIFICUS TOTALS!' Malfoy ducked and the spell hit Crabbe, who's limbs snapped together and hit the floor with a thud.  
  
'Haha....nice shot Weasley, you must take after your father, you know...hopeless!' Malfoy didn't seem to care that one of his bodyguards was down.  
  
'Eat slugs Malfoy!' And Ron hexed Malfoy properly this time. His wand was no longer broken, and his wand movement had gotten considerably better since second year. The hex hit Malfoy right in the gut, and instantly, he began to burp up slugs.  
  
'What have you *erp* done to me?' Malfoy whimpered. Hermione was chuckling silently under her breath.  
  
'Stop laughing you stupid mudblood.' Malfoy managed to squelch out between sessions of unsightly slug vomiting. Goyle stepped forward as if to protect Malfoy, but Ron raised his wand and frightened him off. The two of them slowly made their way out of the Great Hall. 'Don't think this is over Poor boy and Mudblood. I'll get my revenge. And you Potter, I hope your owl's dead.' And he hurried off towards Slytherin house, constantly burping up slimy slugs.  
  
'Good thing he's gone.' Ron sighed as he put his wand back into his robes. He was acting as if nothing at all had just happened. Everyone remained silent for a while. 'He was making a mess on the floor, poor house elves will have to clean it up!' Hermione and Harry both laughed.  
  
'Ron, that was really sweet of you to stand up for me. Nobody's ever done that for me before. Guys, If I didn't have you tow, where would I be?' Hermione gave Ron and Harry both a hug and a peck on the cheek.  
  
'In a lot less trouble?!' Hermione chuckled again.  
  
'Ron, I'm really sorry I left you in the common room last night. And I'm sorry I used the Pertrificus Totalis hex on you. That was uncalled for. I know we're all just upset over Hedwig.' Hermione sat back down at the Gryffindor table and began putting her books away.  
  
'Ya well, don't be sorry for Ron, be sorry for Neville, cause he's gonna lose a toad! Trevor sat on Ron's face last night for hours!' Harry sat down across from Hermione and helped himself to some eggs.  
  
'I'm glad you find it funny Harry, now that I've mastered the Pertrificus Totalis hex, maybe I should give you a go tonight eh?' Ron cast Harry an evil grin while he reached for some sausages.  
  
'No thanks.' Harry could hear the sound of flapping coming in through the Great Hall, it was the post arriving.  
  
'Oh, maybe I'll get that new Herbology book I've been waiting for' Said Hermione as she cast an upward glance to the enchanted ceiling.  
  
'I'm still waiting for a note from mum to say if Dad got the raise or not.' Ron looked intently for a big, old, barn owl, his mother's post carrier.  
  
'I'm gonna go get my quidditch gear. I'll see you guys at the game.' Harry all of a sudden didn't feel like eating. He didn't even feel like playing quidditch, his most favorite pastime in the world, except for Malfoy hunting that is. There was an empty spot in his heart; Hedwig was all alone too...wherever she was. Harry longed for a note from Sirius, maybe telling him that Hedwig was fine, and that she ended up with him, but no sign of Hedwig or Sirius ever showed up.  
  
'But Harry, you'd better eat something before you play, you won't feel well.' Hermione insisted.  
  
'I'll be fine Hermione, I'll see you guys at the game?' Harry wanted to get ot his dorm so he could just sit and think. If he was going to ever figure out a way to find Hedwig, he would have to outwit Malfoy.  
  
'Ya, all right.' they bluntly responded in unison.  
  
'Bye.' And Harry hurried up to his warm bed to think. What if Hedwig never came back? How could he replace her. There was just no way Harry was going to let Malfoy beat him. He was going to figure out a way to beat Malfoy. But first, he had to clear his mind; Quidditch was the only way to do that. 


	4. The Practise Session

1 Chapter 4: The Practice Session  
  
Harry sat in his dorm, staring out the window for a sign that Hedwig was still alive. No matter how much he tried to think about anything else, she would always pop into his mind. He would have thought that this was a trick of the Dursley's, but he remembered that they had the least sense of humor he'd ever seen. He had to get into a better mood; The Quidditch tournament would start in two hours. The only thing that could ever take his mind of anything bad...including his parents, was Quidditch. He cast a sideways glance to the corner of his four post bed. There stood his firebolt, just leaning against the wall. Maybe a nice ride on his perfect top of the line broom would take his mind of Hedwig and remind him a bit of Sirius. Sirius had given Harry this wonderful broom in his 3rd year to make up for 13 missed birthday presents. It was the best gift Harry had ever received, especially considering the Dursley's gave him old socks for presents. He got up and dressed into some sweat pants and a sweater, which was a good plan because December was a very cold month at Hogwarts. He picked up the firebolt and ran his hand down to the handle. Embossed in beautiful red and gold letters was the word 'firebolt.' He grabbed his wand and threw it in his pocket; he had learned a lesson from not keeping safe care of his wand. He scribbled a note to Ron and Hermione in the common room and headed towards the Quidditch pitch. He would only be able to play for half an hour at most, but the chance to fly again would be extraordinary.  
  
When Harry reached the field, to his surprise, it was deserted. Nobody had come into the stadium to get good seats or anything. Completely and utterly empty. He climbed onto the firebolt, kicked the ground hard, and rose up and up into the cool air. The wind blew his hair about, but he enjoyed the sensation of flying again. After three extraordinarily quick laps of the stadium, Harry began to practice his moves. The Wronski Feint was Harry's favorite maneuver. He would start from way above the pitch, pretend as if he had seen the snitch(the small gold ball that the seeker on each team tied to catch), dive madly toward the ground, and pull out at the last minute. This was particularly successful in throwing the opposing seeker off guard. Once one seeker 'saw' the snitch, for fear, the other would follow. And being particularly talented at Quidditch, and not to mention the Wronski Feint, Harry could pull out at the last second and leave the opposing seeker in quite a predicament.  
  
After Harry had re-perfected all of his moves, he pointed his broomstick down and headed towards the ground. But a sudden jolt of his broom caused him to stop in his tracks. His broom was beginning to rattle and shake, as if it were a washing machine. He pointed his broomstick down again and slowly tried to reach the ground. Again he was unsuccessful, his firebolt was trying to buck him off! Harry foolishly pulled out his wand, which would do nothing, and promptly dropped it due to the jumping of his broom. Now he was stuck on a bucking broom, with no wand, and nobody around to call for help or help him if he fell. His grip on his broom was loosening, he couldn't hold on much longer.  
  
Then after 10 minutes of complete earthquake like movement, Harry lost his grip and flipped upside down on his broom. Now only his interlocking feet were between him and a most excruciating fall, possibly death. The broom continued to buck and eventually untied the wrapped feet from the its handle. With one last yelp, Harry began to plummet towards the hard ground of the Quidditch stadium.  
  
For one quick second, He felt as if he had passed out. When he awoke from this odd feeling, he wasn't in the hospital wing, and he wasn't in his bed. All hopes of the fall being a dream were shot. Instead, he was lying in a big pile of pillows. He had not passed out at all. Rather, he had been saved. Someone had transfigured the ground into a soft pillow like substance. Harry rolled over and glanced around the stadium. Whomever had cursed his broom, and coincidentally saved him would still be in the stands. His eyes looked around and around at the foot of each set of stands. But nobody appeared.  
  
All of a sudden, the thought that his broom had been damaged crossed his mind. He gave up looking for the culprit and the savior, and ran over to his broom. As far as he could see, there was nothing wrong with it. Just a little dirt here and there, and a few twigs on the tail had been slightly bent. As he got up to leave the stadium, there stood Ron and Hermione.  
  
'Oh Harry, Are you all right?!' Hermione squealed as she squeezed him to death in what was supposed to be a hug.  
  
'We saw who did it.' Ron exclaimed, looking confusingly smug considering his best friend had just fallen 60 feet.  
  
'What happened?' Harry groggily replied, peeling Hermione hands from around his neck.  
  
'What happened?! Malfoy was jinxing your broom. We saw the note you left in the common room and came out to watch, its a good thing we got here in time. Hermione saved your life...again.' Ron listed off detail by detail what happened, careful not to leave out anything.  
  
'You saved my life?' Harry was astonished, his best friend had saved him. he was filled with a sense of anger against Malfoy and a sense of gratitude for Hermione.  
  
'Well, I guess....I transfigured the ground into a pillow soft landing ground for you. And just in time. I'm sorry I didn't get here in time to counter the curse Malfoy was putting on your broom. Are you sure your all right?'  
  
'Ya, I'm fine, thanks to you to. Where did Malfoy go? I'll give him a broom, right up the-' Hermione cut Harry off.  
  
'We don't know where he went. After we got here, he saw us run in and took off. If only you had held on just a few seconds longer, the broom would have stopped twitching.' Hermione seemed very sad that she hadn't been able to help at an earlier time. She almost felt guilty.  
  
'Twitching? It was trying to buck me off, just like when Professor Quirrel tried to kill me.' Harry was amazed that his friends were calling it twitching.  
  
'Well it doesn't matter, its not like we can do anything about it. With Dumbledore off helping the Ministry of Magic, there's no chance of getting Malfoy expelled. That bloody nutter Blackson is the worst headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen. Wasn't he a Slytherin?' Ron was right. There was no way to get Malfoy in trouble.  
  
'Yes, I think so.' Hermione could always be counted on to obtain useless information.  
  
'So that explains why he favors Malfoy...that little worm.' Ron was getting really excited again. Harry was worried that Hermione might use the Petrifcus Totalis curse on him again.  
  
'Anyway Harry, you need to go and get your Quidditch gear, the match starts in 45 minutes.'  
  
'But my broom...its all dirty and messed up...' Harry sounded like a little child worried about his toy truck.  
  
'Don't worry Harry, Ron and I will try to fix it up while your getting all of your things. All right?' Hermione always remained calm and used her brain. She was very logical.  
  
'Thanks. I really appreciate it. What would I do without you tow?' Harry began waking towards the changerooms.  
  
'Die?' Ron sarcastically replied.  
  
'Probably, well, I'd better hurry, see you at the match, just leave my broom with your brothers Ron. Bye!' Harry hurried off to get his gear.  
  
'Good Luck!' Hermione called after him. She was beginning to sound more and more like a mother. Ron suspected that she had already had a few kids of her own.  
  
'Let's go get this broom fixed and get good seats.' Ron pulled Hermione off the pitch. They too were had a lot to do before the match.  
  
'Ya all right, you go and get Harry's broom care kit, and I'll fine some cleaning spells in the text book.' Hermione referred to her textbooks like a bible.  
  
'All right, meet you in the common room.' And Ron hurried away while Hermione went to the Library. It was an odd relationship between Ron, Hermione and Harry. But each of them lived for eachother. Together they had stopped Lord Voldemort twice, saved Sirius's life, and helped Harry win the Triwizard Cup. They made quite the team, and they weren't about to change that. 


	5. The Quidditch Tournament

1 Chapter 5: The Quidditch Tournament  
  
Harry left Hermione and Ron at the stadium to fix up his broom while he hurried up to his dorm to get his Quidditch gear. After gathering his robes, protective pads, mouth guard, which he had only recently started using after taking a bludger to the face, and wand(...just in case), he hurried down to the dressing rooms.  
  
'Where have you been? I thought we were going to have to forfeit, and against Hufflepuff...that would be pathetic!' The cold gazing eyes of Alicia Spinnet, and coincidentally, the rest of the team, were upon him.  
  
'Uh...' Harry stammered 'I was running a bit late.'  
  
'Well no time for that' Said George Weasley, Ron's older brother.  
  
'We're supposed to be on the pitch in five minutes, hurry up and get dressed.' Chortled Fred, George's twin.  
  
'Uh Harry...where is your broom?' Came the voice of Alicia, the team's captain. In a panic, Harry dropped his gear and ran out of the dressing room without a word. Ron and Hermione were still trying to clean up his broom. He hurried out of the dressing room and up to the stands...where Hermione and Ron were waiting.  
  
'Oh thank god...we'd thought you were never going to come. And then I mean...what would you do without your broom?!' Hermione was also in a panic, even though it was Harry who should have been nervous.  
  
'Thanks Hermione, you're a life saver. Is it okay?' Harry took a sideways glance at his firebolt sitting in Hermione's hands.  
  
'Well...umm...I think Malfoy did some damage to it. When it was trying to buck you off, the shaking screwed up the steering. So don't try any dangerous moves...cause it might not work too well.' Hermione seemed displeased with herself because she hadn't fixed his broom like she'd promised him. "I'm really sorry.'  
  
'Don't worry Hermione, its not you who will be sorry...Malfoy is going down. Hermione saw a red flash of rage go through Harry's eyes.  
  
'Umm...Harry...' Ron spoke quietly. 'You don't play Slytherin until the last match.' Ron always chimed in with the negative side to everything.  
  
'That's ok, then I'll just have to capture the snitch fast. The faster we win, the faster I get to Malfoy.' The red haze was still in Harry's eyes.  
  
'Oh, Harry, just be careful. Remember what I said, the broom's steering is off. So don't try any crazy, foolish moves all right?' Hermione grabbed Harry and gave him a quick hug. 'Good luck.'  
  
'Thanks, bye.' Harry managed to struggle away from Hermione and head back towards the changerooms. Ron and Hermione began to head to their seats. Ron was originally saving them with a jacket, but when Harry hadn't turned up, she cast a spell on their two front row seats so that anyone who sat down would remember something they had to do, and leave. When they got there, Hermione removed the spell and took her seat.  
  
'I just hope Harry doesn't try to do anything like the Wronski Feint.' Ron sat down beside Hermione.  
  
'The Whating What?' Hermione appeared baffled. She was not exactly a specialist when it came to Quidditch.  
  
'You know, for a prefect, you don't know everything. Mind you, Percy still knows nothing! Well, its what Viktor Krum did at the World Cup...remember?' Ron glanced at Hermione who was clearly having a flashback to the wonderful summer she had spent with Viktor in Russia.  
  
'Oh, I remember! It's when they go really fast head first towards the ground, and pull out at the last...Oh my! I hope Harry doesn't try that! He'll kill himself!' Hermione's smile quickly faded into a look of pure apprehension.  
  
'Look, he'll be fine, he always is, just have that pillow ground spell ready all right!' Ron gave her a half smile.  
  
'Ya, you're probably right...he'll be fine.' She relaxed back into her seat. The game was about to start.  
  
  
  
In the locker room, Harry had just finished telling everyone what had happened to his broom. The Weasly's twins promised to hit a bludger at Malfoy until they knocked him off his little Nimbus 2000 and 1. But they didn't have much longer to plan other attacks against the Slytherin Team because Madam Hooch's whistle sounded for them to enter the stadium. They all jumped up and headed out of the locker room.  
  
'This is going to be my fastest catch ever. the faster we win, the faster I get to Malfoy! Guys, give me a bit of room, I need to be able to scan the field.' Harry hopped onto his broom and soared out into the pitch.  
  
'Ok team, you heard him, lets go.' Alicia and the rest of the team followed Harry into the stadium. The changing room only remained empty for 5 minutes. On the whistle, harry soared into the air right after the snitch. He chased it for a while, lost it in the sun for a minute or two, and then caught it before the Hufflepuff seeker had even circled the pitch. It was the fastest snitch capture in Hogwart's history. Harry did much the same thing during the match against Ravenclaw, only this time, not one point had been scored in the game. In two matches, Harry had set the two fastest records in Hogwart's history for the capture of the snitch. But despite everyone's cheers, the only thin Harry could focus on was the final match against Slytherin the following morning. he barley particiapated in the parties that were happening in the Gryffindor common room. He had to focus on the most important match of the year. He was going to unbroom Malfoy if it cost him his arm. 


	6. Party/Planning?

Chapter 6: Party On in Gryffindor Common!  
  
'Party! Gryffindor rules the world!' George Weasley was running around the room transfiguring the curtains into balloons and other party favors of that sort.  
  
'Let's hear it for Harry! The fastest and most vengeful Hogwart's Seeker the world has ever seen!' Fred began helping his brother decorate the Gryffindor common room. 'We're gonna party all night long!' After 5 minutes of pure adrenaline rush, after winning the qualifying round, the room looked spectacular. Despite wanting to sleep, so that he would be strong enough for the following morning, Harry went to the party. But he didn't plan on enjoying it. Hedwig had been gone for almost a month now, and Harry could hardly bare it.  
  
'Come on Harry, I'll play ya a game of exploding snaps all right?' Ron and Hermione were enjoying the festivities. It had been a while since they had let loose.  
  
'No thanks Ron, I think I'm gonna go to bed.' Harry made his first attempt to escape the supposed party. He only wished that Malfoy was in front of his face now, then he would bind his body and torture him, muggle style.  
  
'No? Bed?! What's gotten into you. This morning you were just Harry Potter, I mean, not just but....you know what I mean, and now you hold the two fastest snitch captures in Hogwart's history. I reckon you would give Viktor Krum a run for his money! Eh Hermione?' Ron glanced at Hermione, who's eyes had just glazed over with a peaceful happiness at the thought of her boyfriend.  
  
'Hermione!' Ron raised his voice. He was sick and tired of Hermione always slipping off into Lala land with Viktor.  
  
'Wha...sorry, I was just thinking about...' Ron and Harry both new the answer.  
  
'Viktor?' They answered in unison.  
  
'Am I that predictable? Oh gosh, I hope not. It would be positively embarrassing if I were.  
  
'Yes, you are.' They answered in unison again.  
  
'Oh all right, you've made your point. What were you saying Ron?' She had apparently snapped back into the real world. The one without Viktor Krum in it.  
  
'Harry's planning to go to bed! I was just saying that he's the best seeker Hogwart's has ever seen, and that he should enjoy the festivities.' Ron was growing more and more impatient with Hermione's frequent travels to Krum land.  
  
'Oh yes...definitely, Harry, you can't go to bed. Besides, its only 8 o clock.' Hermione pulled Harry over by the fire to talk, while Ron took off to coax his brother's into getting Harry some Butterbeer from Hogsmead. Reluctantly they agreed. Ron hurried over to the fire to sit with Harry and Ron.  
  
'Oy, Harry, you can't go to bed just yet, Fred and George have just gone to get some butterbeer! So, stick around for a bit all right.' Ron sat down on the floor in front of the fire because there were no seats. 'Blimey, every Gryffindor must be in here!'  
  
'Well, thanks for the offer Ron, but I think I'm gonna go do some homework. Then I'll get some sleep for tomorrow. Okay? Good night.' Harry made a move towards the dorms.  
  
'Harry wait, don't make us hex you to stay.' Hermione smiled.  
  
'Ya, good one. Look, I need some sleep, bye.' He turned away from the fire and headed straight up the stairs to his room. He still needed to add 4 inches to his History of Magic paper for the end of the week.  
  
  
  
After Harry went upstairs, Ron and Hermione remained near the fire.  
  
'What are we gonna do. He can't just stay in that room all night. I mean, I know he needs rest, but he doesn't need that much rest. Besides, Fred and George are gonna kill me when they find out he's gone to bed. Their whole trip to Hogsmead will have been a waste of time!' Ron put his hands out near the fire to warm them. The stone castle was very cold in the evening.  
  
'Well, the only logical thing I can think of to do is to bribe him out of his room.' Ron looked baffled. Hermione's idea's were usually odd, but brilliant, but this one seemed a little odd.  
  
'What do you mean? Give him money or something? Cause he has enough of that.' Ron sat back in the chair in deep thought. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what Hermione meant.  
  
'No! I mean, we need to give him a reason to be down here. He's obviously upset about Hedwig, and doesn't want to interact. So, we need to bring someone to talk to him. Now, who is it that always helps Harry out of emotional ruts?' Hermione loved posing rhetorical questions to fellow students. It made her feel superior.  
  
'Uh...Sirius? But Hermione, we can't just zap Sirius into Hogwarts! But...he could apparate...' Ron loved making Hermione mad by saying stupid things.  
  
'Ron!' His plan had worked.  
  
'Ya ya, I know, you can't apparate into Hogwarts. I just love making you mad. But if it isn't Sirius, then who?' Ron sat back in his chair again and began to think hard. 'Look, just tell me, I hate playing your little mind games. You're smarter than me, good job, now tell me who...' Ron was acting like a four year old. Despite the anger in his words, they made Hermione smile.  
  
'Duh! Hagrid! He just got back twenty minutes ago from the Ministry of Defense!' She smirked a very know it all smile and glanced at Ron.  
  
'Oh, Hagrid? He's back?' Ron finally understood what Hermione's plan was. "So we'll just go and get him to talk to Harry?' Ron got up from his seat in excitement and coincidentally lost it to Seamus Finnigan. 'Oy, get outta my chair!'  
  
'You stood up! Tough!' Hermione stood up and walked over to Ron. He slipped past her and leaped in to her chair.  
  
'Ron, we should go talk to Hagrid.' Hermione began heading towards the dormitories. 'I'm gonna go ask Harry if I can borrow his invisibility cloak to poke Colin Creevy in the back of the head. He'll most definitely lend it to me then.' Hermione raised her hands and pretended to take a photograph. Colin's trademark was taking photo's of anything and everything.  
  
'But...but...I just stole your chair fair and square!' Ron stood up and lost his stolen chair to Neville Longbottom. 'Oh for Chrissake!'  
  
'Stop rhyming like a blithering idiot and meet me in the great hall....okay?' Hermione didn't even wait for his answer. She turned and hurried up to the boys dormitories.  
  
'Ya...all right...that sounds good Hermione!' Ron looked around. The only thing he was speaking to was a wall. Everyone else was too in depth in their conversations. In frustration, he turned and left the common room.  
  
  
  
After greeting Hagrid, and being forced to have tea and rock cakes, Hermione and Ron convinced Hagrid to come and talk to Harry. Ron disappeared to the bathroom on their way, which Hermione assumed was a way to throw out Hagrid's Rock cakes.  
  
1 'Oy, Harry!' Ron went into their room. 'I've got someone here to talk to you.' Ron smiled and glanced around the room. Practically every single book that they owned was open and on the floor.  
  
'Whadya doing for God's sake?! Ron stepped over the battle field of books and sat oin the end of Harry's bed.  
  
'Oh! I'm just looking through the books for a homework assignment.' Harry lied. He was really looking for some sort of spell in which he could coax the truth out of Malfoy.  
  
'Uh Harry, these are all spell books. I doubt your going to find any information on the Goblin rebellions of the early 17th century in these. Come on, what are you really looking for? You can tell me!' Ron leaned over toward Harry.  
  
'Well, is anyone outside? Is it all clear? Where's Hermione? If she knew what I was doing, she would absolutely kill me!' Harry picked up his wand.  
  
'Hermione?' Ron called, and awaited her reply from the staircase. 'Oh, I thought she was waiting just outside the door. I guess she went back to the party, so, it's all clear.' Ron leaned even closer to Harry, determined to hear what Harry had to say before Hermione could butt in.  
  
'Well, I'm looking for some kinda of spell or Herb or something to make Malfoy tell the truth. That way, I'll beat the crap out of Malfoy, and I'll know where he's hiding Hedwig.' Harry smiled and continued hunting through the many books.  
  
'Harry what a good idea. You are absolutely –' Ron was cut off.  
  
'Idiotic!' Hermione pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak and sat down on Ron's bed across from them.  
  
'How on earth do you do that?' Ron was again befuddled by Hermione's impetuous timing.  
  
'Well, I put the cloak on to give Harry a fright, you know, to cheer him up, but I decided to listen to what he had to say. Is that so wrong?' Hermione folded the cloak neatly and place it beside her. The sideways grin she cast Ron only angered him.  
  
'Yes! That's eavesdropping! You knew very well that I wanted to have a chat with Harry. You always undermine me!' Ron stood up.  
  
'No I don't! How dare you.' Hermione also stood up. Harry sighed loudly.  
  
'What is it with you to? Can you not not argue for like a minute? Jesus, you're like a married couple.'  
  
'I'm sorry Harry, I just think that trying to steal the necessary ingredients for a truth potion is absurdly dangerous. It's not worth getting into trouble over. Let me hunt around a bit more, find some more evidence, and then we'll go to Dumbledore with it. All right?' Hermione placed Harry's invisibility cloak back in its box in Harry's trunk.  
  
'No! I want to do the investigating. Hermione, you always do everything! I'm so tired of it!' Hermione flicked her hair back over her left shoulder. She was inevitable tired of Ron's jealous routine.  
  
'Ron, we can both do it. Harry, we'll leave you to sleep. No doubt you'll need your energy tomorrow. And trust me, its not worth it for a truth potion.' Hermione smiled. Ron turned and left the room somewhat red. He always got flustered after an argument with Hermione. 'And Harry, we'll get her back. I promise…' She smile a moat reassuring grin at Harry and turned on her heel, leaving the door wide open.  
  
'Blasted idiots.' Harry grabbed his wand form his bedside table and hexed the door closed. He laid back and allowed his head to hit the soft Hogwart's pillow. But he did not sleep. He lay awake thinking about the day that would follow. 


	7. Ulterior Motives

Chapter 7- Ulterior Motives  
  
Harry awoke with a start. Seamus Finnigan had accidentally knocked over a package of exploding snaps onto the ground. Harry assumed the castle was under attack, while Neville didn't even stir.  
  
"For Chrissake Seamus! You bloody Irish klutz." Ron rolled over and buried his head in his pillow. He was quite plainly NOT a morning person.  
  
"Sorry guys." Seamus made his way to the door without knocking anything else over, continually murmuring apologies. "Blonde moment."  
  
  
  
Harry was almost glad that Seamus had been so klutzy. Almost, but not. He had slept far too late, and had obviously slept through his alarm clock – along with everyone else. He had wanted to wake up nice and early to rifle through some more spell books – despite what Hermione had said. For whatever reason, he couldn't just couldn't stand by and take no action. By looking for a spell, he felt as though he was helping, even though he knew he would never use one. Besides, carrying a wand during the Quidditch game would not be an option, it would be far to difficult. And there was always the fact that Harry and Ron would not be able to steal the needed ingredients in time to give them to Malfoy during the match, especially without Hermione's help.  
  
Harry remained in his bed for a few short moments before pulling on his robes somewhat groggily, running a hand through his ever-messy hair, and heading down to the Great Hall. Judging by Ron's intermittent snores, he had fallen back asleep, so Harry left the room alone.  
  
The Gryffindor common room was unusually silent. Harry assumed that this was due to the party that had taken place the previous night, and most likely had not ended until early in the morning. The embers that remained in the fireplace still glowed red. It had no doubt only been unattended for a few hours.  
  
By the time Harry got down to the Great Hall, most of the Gryffindor team was there- albeit not awake. Alicia Spinnet had probably woken everyone up…except Harry. Hermione, as usual, was already studying. Her head was relaxed on the desk. Harry assumed she was reading a book– probably Hogwart's A History, for the umpteenth time. She was engulfed in her reading as she did not noticed Harry sit down beside her. Mind, she hadn't noticed that Fred Weasley had fallen asleep in his scrambled eggs!  
  
"Working as usual Hermione? What chya reading?" Harry helped himself to some toast. He was determined to have al the energy possible, to kick the snot out of Malfoy.  
  
"Huh?" Hermione looked half asleep. Harry was obviously wrong in assuming she had been reading. "Sorry Professor Flitwick…" Harry let out a much needed laugh.  
  
'Hermione! Snap out of it! It's me, Harry!" Harry grinned and took a bite of his toast.  
  
"Oh, I must have nodded off." Hermione made a futile effort to straighten her hair.  
  
"Nodded off? Hermione, you were fast asleep!" Harry reached for the last egg, but was beaten by Alicia Spinnet, the team's captain. Harry realized that he had arrived just at the end of the first breakfast batch.  
  
Hermione grew very defensive.  
  
"I wasn't anything of the sort." Her hair was still standing on end. "I was working really hard, and I just…lost concentration." Hermione attempted to stand up, but couldn't seem to manage to.  
  
"Hermione? Everything okay? You look a little woozy." Harry took another bite of his toast.  
  
"I'm fine. It's just that…my rear-end is asleep." Harry let out another well needed laugh. For a moment, he had forgotten about all of his problems. Finally, Hermione smiled.  
  
"Hermione, did you even go to sleep?" Harry grabbed an egg. The house elves had obviously refilled the egg plate without Hermione noticing. Harry thanked god that she had been too sleepy to notice. If she had, he would most likely miss the Quidditch game to hand out badges supporting the liberation of house elves.  
  
"Well, I didn't exactly go to bed per say…I was gathering more evidence around the Slytherin corridors…and carefully I might add." Hermione made a grab for last sausage, but was beaten by Fred Weasley, who had at last woken up. "Curses! I really wanted that Fred." Fred smirked and took a big bite.  
  
"Well…what did you find? Don't leave me hanging!" Harry had dropped his toast on his plate and was waiting in anticipation.  
  
"Sorry Harry, nothing yet. Well, nothing solid that we can use at least…" Hermione threw a dirty look at Fred who was now finishing his sausage in peace.  
  
"What do you mean nothing we can use?! Did you find anything at all?" Harry's toast and eggs remained on his plate – inevitably forgotten.  
  
"Well, I while I was walking towards the Slytherin common room, I met Crabbe and Goyle. Crabbe dropped a quill, and I don't know why, but I stopped him to tell him. You know, it was a pretty nice quill, I should have kept it for myself. It was one of those geese strung metallic looking ones with the—"  
  
  
  
"Hermione, for god's sake, I don't care what kind of quill it was…get to the point!" Harry rubbed his hand over his scar. The stress of the whole Hedwig situation was giving him more frequent head pains.  
  
"You know, for someone who went to bed early last night, you certainly are irritable." Hermione recomposed herself.  
  
"I wouldn't talk ya know. You're the one who slept on top of a table!" Harry took a bite of his toast at last.  
  
"Fine, whatever. As I was saying, when I called him back, instead of turning around, both of them took of at the speed of light! Kinda peculiar don't you think?" Hermione seemed pleased with Harry's reaction to her findings. Despite Hedwig belonging to Harry, both Ron and Hermione had an emotional connection with her. It was nice to know that she was helping.  
  
"Just a tad." Harry turned back to his no cold toast. He was supposed to be in the dressing room in ten minutes.  
  
"Anyways Harry, let me take care fo the evidence. I feel instinctively that I'll find some concrete proof real soon. Besides, you have to get going…I don't suppose you thought enough to bring your gear with you?" Hermione had a horrific habit of sounding like a mother.  
  
"No, I guess I'd better run. No digestion for me! I've only got 8 minutes left. If I meet Colin Creevy in the corridor, I'm doomed. I'll miss the match!" Harry took some fake pictures in the air using his hand as the camera. Hermione frowned.  
  
"He's not that bad you know. You never even give him a chance." Hermione grabbed the paper from under Fred's arm.  
  
"Hey! I was reading that." Fred made a grab for the paper now in Hermione's hands.  
  
"Sure you were. While it was upside-down? Besides, shouldn't you be on your way to the dressing room?" Fred glared at Hermione.  
  
"We already have a mother, thank you." Fred and George picked up their things and left without another word. Hermione grinned.  
  
"Well, good luck Harry. Gonna go for your third record today?" Hermione grabbed a few sausages at last. The house elves had obviously refilled the breakfast plates without her noticing again.  
  
"Nope." Harry grinned.  
  
"Why not? Third times a charm! Not that I believe in that sort of mumbo jumbo." Hermione frowned disapprovingly at the thought of predictions and astrology.  
  
"I already have a goal for this match. You'll see." Harry turned and hurried out of the Great Hall, while visions of Malfoy in pain pranced though his skull. 


	8. On your Marks, get set, ATTACK!

Chapter 8- On your marks, get set, attack!  
  
Harry gathered up his Quidditch gear as quietly as he could considering his dorm mates were still sleeping. Ron was snoring so loudly that Harry could hardly believe how anyone else was still asleep.  
  
Harry cast a sideways glance at the window as he exited the room, in hopes of finding Hedwig perched on the sill. But no bird was pecking a the window. His eyes blurred with tears as he hurried down the steps and into the common room. The thought that he could have left Hedwig in such a vulnerable position to be kidnapped, made him feel worse. It was his fault she was gone, and his duty to get her back.  
  
After awkwardly stumbling out of the portrait of the Fat Lady in the pink dress, Harry glanced down the corridor. If he went his usual route to the dressing room, Colin Creevy was bound to find him. He took a hand to his face and wiped away the tears. His sadness had all of a sudden morphed into anger, the faster he could get on the pitch and beat the truth out of Malfoy, the better. But instead of taking the normal route, harry decided to take a round about route. He was worried that if he encountered Creevy and his camera, he would beat the snot out of him.  
  
10 minutes later, Harry found himself in the dressing room, having successfully avoided publicity. He silently pulled on his scarlet Quidditch robes.  
  
"Oy, Harry, you ready?" Came Alicia Spinnet's voice over an argument between Fred and George Weasley. They were trying to decided who would get to wack a bludger at Malfoy's face. It only took them 5 minutes to realize that they both could.  
  
Harry turned to face his teammates. "Oh ya I'm ready." Harry grinned at the mental image of Malfoy rolling on the pitch in pain- just how Harry had suffered over missing Hedwig.  
  
"Going for your third fastest record Harry?" Fred piped up, having finished his argument with George.  
  
"Nope." Harry grinned again. The teams jaws somewhat dropped.  
  
"Ah, why not? We were looking forward to having another party tonight!" Alicia grabbed her broom.  
  
" I have another goal for this game. Instead of chasing the snitch, I'm gonna chase Malfoy. If they're gonna play dirty, so am I. Any time Malfoy makes a grab for the snitch, I'll block him. We all know he can't fly to save his money purse." The team grunted in approval. Harry's new plan seemed to be extra challenging and almost fun.  
  
"C'mon guys, to the gates." Alicia pointed to the door to the pitch. "Let's go!"  
  
  
  
Madam Hooch's whistle broke the silence that had come over the crowd, notifying the players to take their positions on the field. He calmly glanced around the stadium. He immediately spotted Hermione and Ron. Hermione had bewitched Ron's Gryffindor hat, with the lion, to growl whenever a Slytherin was around. Sitting slightly behind Ron and Hermione, was the headmaster. As usual, Dumbledore had come out to see the final match.  
  
"Great." Thought Harry. "My headmaster will be watching me as a beat the crap out of one of his students.  
  
Madam Hooch's whistle sounded again. She had just asked for a clean game, but Harry didn't seem to be listening. Neither did anyone on the field. With one final glare at Malfoy, Harry kicked ground hard and soared into the air. He took one quick lap around the pitch and then focused on following Malfoy. Every time Malfoy got close to reaching the snitch, Harry would slam into him from either side.  
  
"Sod off!" Malfoy yelled to Harry. Harry took a quick dive below him and pulled one of his sneakers off.  
  
"Did you say sod off? Or shoe off?" Harry grinned and chucked the shoe to Fred, who batted it out of the stadium.  
  
"Those were expensive. You're paying for those Potter." Harry grinned again and soared just over Malfoy's head, "accidentally" kicking him in the head. Malfoy keeled over on his broom, nearly falling off.  
  
Madam Hooch wasn't watching as Malfoy pulled himself up onto the broom and pulled out his wand.  
  
"Don't even think about it Malfoy." Harry quickly pulled out his wand from his robes and cried "Expelliarmus!" Malfoy's wand flew out of his hand and into Harry's.  
  
"Give that back…now!" Malfoy squealed.  
  
"Hmm…no!" Harry tucked Malfoy's wand into his robes. If he dropped it to the ground, Malfoy would be certain to fetch it.  
  
"You're dead!" Out of nowhere, Malfoy slammed into Harry's right side. Harry punched Malfoy in the stomach as Malfoy managed to scratch at Harry's face. Now both were struggling to inflict pain on the other, while the fact that they were hovering 50 metres above ground seemed to be forgotten.  
  
"Ouch!" Whined Malfoy.  
  
"You're dead Draco, nobody likes you, and I'm gonna do them a favor. Harry grasped hold of Malfoy's robes.  
  
"Not while I have anything to do with it." Malfoy shoved Harry backwards. Slowly losing his balance, Harry tightened his grip on Draco's robes.  
  
After a second or so of reflecting on what had just happened, and what was about to happen, Harry glanced at the ground. They were high up…and now falling.  
  
Combined as one they hurdled towards the hard ground. Malfoy screaming, and Harry, still grasped onto his robes, madly trying to think of a useful spell.  
  
Without realizing what he was doing, Harry pulled out his wand and summoned his firebolt. It instantly flew towards him. But to get a hold of it, Harry had to let go of Malfoy. Despite hating Malfoy with a passion, he didn't want him to die…at least not like this.  
  
In one fluid motion, Harry straddled his broom, turned around, and bewitch the ground into a big pile of pillows - a spell Hermione had taught him the last time she saved his life.  
  
Seconds later, Malfoy was sitting upright on the ground as Harry somewhat difficulty landed his broom. Harry walked over to Malfoy with the intention of giving him his wand back. The monstrosity of a wand was making him feel sick.  
  
"You saved my life." Malfoy almost looked human as he said this until the evil jerk inside turned on. "I wouldn't have saved you!" Malfoy smirked. All of a sudden he appeared to be his usual self, a sniffling obsequious worm.  
  
Harry's eyes welled with anger. "I only saved you so I could do this." Harry began pummeling Malfoy's body. All of his anger and frustration over Hedwig wash released in the form of punches and kicks. For a brief moment, Harry began to blame Malfoy for the death of his parents, so he hit him harder. It took Dumbledore, Snape, Madam Hooch, and Professor McGonagall 5 minutes to pull the raging beast that Harry had become, off of Malfoy. Even though each of them secretly knew that he deserved what he was getting, even Snape.  
  
After such over excursion, Harry blacked out. he couldn't remember anything, all he felt was that he wanted to hit Malfoy even more. 


End file.
